THE CONCEPT OF YAGNA

By Dr.N.S.Anantharangacharya

When  we  think of the term ‘Yagna’ various things  such as the altar, the blazing fire, the Ritviks, the mantras, the  invocations,  the singing of Samans, the oblations and the fruits that would be obtained – occur  to  our  mind. Yagna  was  once  considered  as  performance  of  a sacrifice with the ordained instruments   for   attaining  certain  benefits  here  and  hereafter. The  sacrifices  were of  many  kinds involving  even  killing of  animals  for  attainment of various fruits. The Jyotishtoma was required to be performed  for  attainment of  heaven. The Ashvamedha or the horse sacrifice was the most celebrated and  sophisticated  sacrifice. The  institutions  of  sacrifice  developed enormously and we see how the Brahmana  texts  of  the  Veda  as  well  as  the  ‘Srauta Sutras’ are expounding  the very many minute details  that  are  to  be observed in the performance of the sacrifice. All these sacrifices were ‘Kamya Karmas’ meant for gaining various desires in life.

With  the  passage  of  time  it  was  realized  that  performance of such sacrifices did involve one in to samsara  more  and  more  fastly  and that  there was no hope of salvation from samsara. Though there was the feeling of dedication and service the very act of sacrifice was motivated by selfish interests and involved  injury to life. In some of the Brahmans such as ‘Samavidhana Brahmana’ we notice that there is  a  change  in  outlook. The performance of animal sacrifices for selfish gains is condemned outright.  The   Upanishads   went   a  step  forward  and  placed  the  ideal  of  ‘Self-knowledge’  in  place  of performance  of  ‘karma’.  A  metaphorical  description  of  Yagna  was also given by Upanishads like ‘BRIHADARANYAKA’  and  the  ‘Mahanarayaniya’. ‘The head of the sacrificial horse is  the dawn, its  eye  the  sun,  its  vital  force  the  air,  its open mouth the fire called vaisvanara and the body of the sacrificial horse is the year, - Thus opens the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. 

The  purusha  vidya  expounded in the Mahanarayaniya Upanishad ascribes the character of a sacrifice to  one  who  knows  Brahman.  It  is  ordained  that  one  should surrender oneself unto Brahman, the highest  object of  worship. It is declared that the self is the sacrificer, faith his wife, his body is the fuel, his breast the sacrificial  altar, his hairs the sacred bed of  kusa grass, desire the ghee, anger the animal to  be  sacrificed etc. All this is declared as  an auxiliary to meditation  on Brahman and the fruit of this is the attainment of Brahman itself. The question – who attains the highest good  the  ‘dravyayajin’  or the ‘Atmayajin’ is posed and the answer is definitely given in the statement – ‘It should be said that it is the Atmayajin  who  attains  the  highest  good’. We  see  how  the  concept of  Yagna was undergoing change  from   time  to  time  and in the Smrithi texts we come across the doctrine of the ‘Panchamaha Yagnas’. There  are  duties  that  are  to  be  performed by the householder and these are the duties of one’s  station  in   life. The five Yagnas are Brahma Yagna,  Deva Yagna,  Pitri Yagna,  BhutaYagna  and Manushya Yagna. BrahmaYagna  is  learning and teaching the  spiritual  texts. DevaYagna  comprises  of the  performances  of  daily  rituals such  as  agnihotra and others. PitruYagna is the offering to be made to  the  manes   such  as offering of  libation. BhutaYagna  is the offering to  all  created  beings  such  as animals  etc.  Manushya  Yagna  is  hospitality  extended to the guests.  We   see   how  Yagna  is  here described as an  integral  part of  the  daily discipline, which is to  be  practiced  without  fail. Yagna  is  here a duty that is ordained and it is not something to be done for the attainment of certain benefits.

All  these trends have been consolidated and a comprehensive perspective of Yagna is presented in the Bhagavad-Gita. One of  the  many  unique contributions of the Gita is a vivid exposition of the concept of  Yagna. This  subject  is dealt with in the third chapter, the fourth chapter and the eighteenth chapter. The  Yagna  spirit  pervades  the  entire  teaching  of  the  Gita  and  the Gita declares that it is a Divine imperative, which has to be implicitly followed and practiced.  

The  ritual  act or sacrifice performed with desire for the results thereof is binding the self to this world. But  if  it  is done with ‘Yagna Buddhi’ it will never be binding. The Lord says – ‘this world is bound by bonds of work  except  where  that work is done for sacrifice. So Arjuna, work to that end and do all your duties without attachment. 

The  meaning  of  the  word  Yagna  having  a  Vedic  background  has  gained a transition and all acts performed with dedication as an act of worship of  God are verily declared as Yagna. 

The  word  Yagna  comes  from  the  root  ‘Yaj’ or  worship of  God and  the  meaning of  worship of God is given to the word here.  even in the Vedic context of sacrificial cult that  meaning of  worship of the several deities remained intact. But a broad and general application of the connotation of the word is given here. Here there are three aspects – 

1. One should acknowledge and accept the greatness of the deity worshipped.

2.  As a corollary of the first condition one should surrender oneself unto that Deity totally.

3. One should not have any selfish interest in the results of such acts.

 All  acts as considered as ‘sacrifice’or ‘Yagna’ if  they are performed in this way as devout services to theLord. ‘Yagna’ means here Iswara and anything done with ‘Devatha samarapana Bhaava’ is Yagna. 

One  should  develop  this ‘Yagnabuddhi’, which is dwelling hidden in one’s heart, as the Lord created this universe of men along with this Yagna-buddhi in them. The supreme God can be gained only when one  works  out  the  unfoldment of  this  ‘Yagna Pravritti’, which is hidden in his very nature and never otherwise. 

The  Gita describes and glorifies the significance of  this Yagna buddhi in as many as eight verses in  the III chapter and declares that this is the Divine imperative. The ‘Yagna chakra’ is set in motion  and  the life of a man who does not follow it becomes futile. 

The Gita expounds  that  one  can  transform  all  his  actions  secular as well as spiritual in to forms of Yagna. The implications of this teaching are very significant. 

1.                  Life here is to be lived with gratitude un to God, the creator and it is to be respected and lived properly.

2.                  The  various  forces  that  are  motivating  this  universe  and  causing it function are the several deities  such  as  Agni, Varuna, Vayu, Parjanya etc., and they are to be worshipped. This worship is in the  form  of  following  them, knowing  their  nature  and never going against them. The results that are gained  are  to be shared with all others. Everything we get is the gift of God and we should never even think  that  we  have  earned  them  by  dint  of our own efforts. Only then do we accept all that comes upon us as ‘devatanugraha’.

3.        The  next  process is to distribute among fellow people for their good, what comes upon one as the  results of  Yagna,  Daana and Tapas. One should shed one’s Ahankara accepting the greatness of God. That  is  Tapas. One  should  perform  all  acts here utilizing the natural forces (deities mentioned above) available as an act of dedication unto the Lord  and this is Yagna. The ‘Phala’ of Yagna is to be shared with one’s fellowmen and should never be kept  for one’s  own enjoyment. This  is  Dana. This glorious  life of  the  form of ‘Tapas’, ‘Yagna’ and ‘Dana’ leads one to final beatitude, as such a person will be free from the dualities of  life such as ‘Kaama’, ‘Krodha’ and others. 

The  Lord  declares  that  Karma  performed with intuitive knowledge of the atman, with Yagna buddhi and  without  any  attachment,  totally  melts  away and does not affect him in anyway. How to give up desire  in  the fruit? The Gita says that one should think as follows –‘The offering is Brahman, Brahman is the sacrificial ghee. It is offered by Brahman in Brahman’s fire.One who thinks like this that everying is ensouled by Brahman attains Brahman itself. The nature of Yagna of a Jnani is like this. 

In this world we cannot remain without doing actions. The Gita teaches how one can free oneself from the  bondages  of  Karma  that  is ever done. It is the kind of ‘Yagnadrishti’ that transforms all types of actions  in to  Yagna. Every  act of ours here is to be known as service to the Lord. Life itself is Yagna, Tapo Yagna,  Yoga Yagna, Jnana Yagna and others. The sacrifice in the form of knowledge is the most supreme of all type of Yagnas. 

The  Gita  declares  that  a  person  who  performs all  his Karmas without this ‘Yagnabhavana’ will be deprived of  the  benefits of  this world also. When it is so what to say of the benefits of other worlds? 

Thus  we  see that this concept of Yagna as described in the Gita is of utmost importance to all spiritual aspirants.